Turkey’s President Erdogan Proposes Naval Base in Cyprus
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced plans to build a naval base in Cyprus, 50 years after Turkish forces invaded the island. Erdogan stated that if necessary, Turkey would construct a base and naval structures in the north of the divided island.
During his visit to northern Cyprus, Erdogan accused Greece of also wanting to establish a naval base on the island. He emphasized that Turkey had the sea and was ready to take action to protect its interests.
The decades-long division between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots remains unresolved, with Turkey establishing the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in 1983. The international community has not formally recognized this entity.
Despite ongoing tensions and the collapse of UN-backed reunification talks in 2017, Erdogan rejected the idea of restarting negotiations based on a federal model. He stressed the importance of equal representation in any future discussions.
Displaying a show of unity, Erdogan welcomed the presence of the leader of Turkey’s main opposition party during his visit to Cyprus.